Clean-up crews remove collection of odd debris from waters

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Volunteers and local law enforcement took in a major haul off the coast of Collier County this week.

They spent the day cleaning up trash from the bottom of the Gulf. Not only does the garbage damage the habitat but it also damages Southwest Florida’s economy.

A few miles off the coast of the Naples, and just twenty feet below the surface, you’ll come across everything from murky water to marine life. Both are being harmed by what’s latching on to our reef system.

“It can be a hassle to a hazard to be quite honest,” said Bryan Fluech of Florida Sea Grant Extension in Collier County.

According to Fluech, our reefs are in desperate need of help.

For the past six years, the Florida Sea Grant Extension with assistance from Collier County, officials take to the water once a year — diving down under and finding everything from casting line to trash.